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just wondering what people do

i listen to funny music like jimmy buffetts "math suks"and "cheesburger in paradise" or stuff  by toby keith and other humerus singers. 

I watch TV.

Generally the amount of good TV that's on dictates how much painting I can get done.

Same as Asmodai, except for me the TV is almost always on a sports event. Right now, with the NBA playoffs going my painting time has declined since I get distracted by the games, but at least the Eastern Conference still stinks so I can paint right through those matchups.

Sometimes, if there isn't a game on, I'll listen to white-guy music, like Steely Dan or CCR.

Film commentary, audio books work best.

Lately it's been making sure that my girlfriend is studying for finals while I paint.  Usually it's TV shows on DVD (Family Guy, Scrubs, Futurama, Simpsons, etc) or Hearts of Space on Sunday nights.  If I'm in the mood, I'll also put on an audio commentary track for a DVD (but dear GOD stay away from Kiera Knightly's commentary on Pirates of the Carribean; she sounds like a cockney scullery maid, and I feel like Rex Harrison's Henry Higgins). 

Either tv- History channel or discovery channel, usually- or a DVD I've seen before, so I don't get too distracted.

I tend to play games that take a while like Warcraft 3 tower defense style games or watch TV.

CNN
King of the Hill
History & Discovery Channels

TV's on in the background. Cartoons all the time. Lets me avoid crappy programs, but I also tend to be ignorant of current events.

The sad part is that sometimes I get frustrated and yell at the TV when Jerry is being an ass towards Tom (again) or when Blue from Blue's Clues is trying to tell that idiot Steve something important.

I will have the TV on sometimes, but i prefer listening to music while i paint. 

Usually something metal or punk, sometimes i like it to be more mellow and will throw on some old school ska.

This is a great topic BTW

I'm with Malfred, DVD commentaries and audio books are usually on while I paint and model. I travel a lot for work and one thing I started a year ago is bringing models and paint with me on business trips. My fiancee got me an art bin that holds about a dozen marine sized models in foam and about six GW paints. I bring that along and get the really tedious stuff done while I travel. It's amazing how much you can actually paint when you have NOTHING else to do.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

Generally my painting happens like this.
Come home from work, make a cuppa, and settle down at my desk for some writing of "the thesis".
Put some music on shuffle, stretch my bad leg out under the desk and sink into my comfy chair.
Get bored halfway through the first paper I try to read.
look around my sitting room.
Notice an unpainted model in a unit of painted models.
Get annoyed. Wander over and pick up unpainted models.
Sit down. Hand paws at the lid of the paint box.
3-4 hours later.
Sit admiring my handiwork.
Decide to array my forces to admire them properly.
Notice another unpainted model.
Repeat.


Next morning I'm shuffling in on 3-4 hours sleep, unshaven, to make excuses to my supervisor.
He feels pity for his obviously exhausted student and I escape retribution.

I like to listen to jazz and sometimes humourous music as I paint.
(I don't own a TV)

i mainly paint in FLGS' or the Gw store by my house. free paint, and not too many distractions unless theres TFG there.

Lessee....

While paiting, I've "watched":
STS9 seaons 3-7
Farscape seasons 1-3
Stargate seasons 1-5
Hecules seasons 1&2
Andromeda season 1
Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons 5 & 6
Conan the Barbarian, plus commentary
Willow, plus commentary
Lord of the Rings extra-long versions, plus 2 commentaries each

Painting time (plus Netflix, or a REALLY GOOD local video store) is an excellent way to catch those "I shoulda watched that" shows.

listen to cds or the ipod, or NPR.

Similar to Yair, I listen to cds/mp3s or web radio. Once upon a time I used to park in front of the 'tube while The Discovery Channel, TLC or the History Channel droned on, but after moving & creating a purpose built work area (with no TV), that hasn't happened. That said, I think the idea of listening to audio books or getting a small TV to "watch" DVD commentaries is a good one.

By the way, if you want to take some of the strain of painting away, every 45-60 minutes, get up, stretch out your arms and legs, and walk around a bit ten minutes or so. Does the body no good being locked up for hours on end staring at tiny little figures.

I'm with Nyarly on the moving around thing.  If you have a dog, take him/her for a short walk.  It's good for you, and your dog will love it.  I also use that time to do things such as dishes, cleaning, putting crap away, etc. 

I put on the TV and have Discovery etc. going.

The getting up and walking around thing is key. I often forget and then I wonder why various parts of me have started to ache.
I don't know what I did but my back is killing me...

Ive done most everything listed here - listening to music/npr, public tv, etc. But normally I rewatch shows or movies I've seen sometimes with commentary, sometimes without. Just recently I've gone through Invader Zim, which was excellent because the laughing took some of the intensity out of painting. I wouldn't recommend watching movies or shows you haven't yet seen when painting - it takes too much of your attention away (there's no way I could have concentrated recently when watching Doctor Who 05-06).

Has anyone also gamed while painting? Honestly, I've played strategy games in the past while painting. Especially with city-building games like Pharoah, Stronghold, or SimCity - start it out, let it run a few years or whatever, and then come back to it, repeat. I haven't done it reently but it works!

Like many I'll usually have the discovery/history/space channel on or will be watching a movie or some dumb cartoons I've already seen. I also keep a book ready which I read every 30-45 minutes for 10-15 minutes to get over the monotony. The only thing I stop painting for is the Daily Show and Colbert Report. I just watched Michael Collins on Friday while working on some Emperor's Children and it kept me in the mood superbly. The LOTR trilogy is also great to paint to. I like the idea of watching comentary, but don't have too many dvds with it and don't rent often.

I have a tendency, I am told, that I bite my tongue when I am in "Ultra detail mode" when painting. I am never aware of it when I do it, but whenever my girlfriend walks by and sees this posture, she laughs and makes fun of me.

The more exacting and strenuous the detail, the more I resemble Gene Simmons.

Hello, Michael Jordan.

Mostly NPR.
Ayumi Hamasaki.
Amon Tobin.

If you like watching DVDs with commentary then you'll definitely want to check out Total Recall.  Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger deliver what is by far the most awesome commentary ever.  I especially love the part when the future governor of California starts laughing at the 3-boobed mutant woman getting shot in the back.  Man, those guys are enormous a$$holes!

I normally paint while doing other stuff. Waiting for games with long loading times, etc.

If I'm just painting, I don't normally have any other distractions going on, except maybe music of some description.

If painting with a friend, usually there's a movie on in the background; Indiana Jones, Bond, Star Wars, Alien(s), etc

If painting for a tournament - Johnny Mnemonic. This started accidently, it was on 3 different networks at different times over 2 weeks, so every time I sat down to paint it was on. I 'bought' the DVD & it's been my pre-tourney painting ritual ever since.

When painting alone, and not with a deadline looming, I'll watch DVD commentary, or discovery as well. Though NHL playoffs have made it hard to paint recently.

The commentary to Conan is similarly hilarious, as Arney reflects on how much action he got in that movie.

Nice to see I'm not alone.

I liked the Kurt Russell commentary on Big Trouble in Little China.

Babylon 5 ensemble commentary gets kinda hairy, too.

Posted By malfred on 05/09/2007 1:58 PM
I liked the Kurt Russell commentary on Big Trouble in Little China.

That's another good one.  I also like the commentary for Mallrats.  MICHAEL ROOKER!